August 14th, 2009
Microsoft starts rolling out final Windows Server 2008 R2 bits
As promised, Microsoft has made the final Windows Server 2008 R2 bits available on August 14 for download by Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) and TechNet subscribers.
Microsoft released the final Windows Server 2008 R2 bits to manufacturing at the end of July, the same day the company RTM’d Windows 7. OEMs got the server-side complement to Windows 7 on July 29.
Microsoft posted the final Windows Server 2008 R2 code to MSDN and TechNet around 1 p.m. ET on Friday. The English, French, German, Japanese, Italian and Spanish versions are slated to be live today, with remaining languages going live on August 21.
Windows Server 2008 R2 includes a number of new features, including a number of virtualization-focused ones. (Here’s a list of updated and new features in the Windows Server 2008 R2 release from Microsoft.)
Gold-certified resellers can get the code next week,on August 19 12 (see below), as can volume licensees with Software Assurance.
General availability for Windows Server 2008 R2 is slated for October 22. A series of business-focused launch events for Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 and Exchange 2010 kick off in the U.S. on November 9.
Update: According to an August 14 posting to the Windows Server Division Weblog, Microsoft’s schedule for delivering Windows Server 2008 R2 is a bit different than what the team announced a few weeks ago. Volume Licensees with Software Assurance are now going to get the final bits on August 12 (not the 19th).
Also: Microsoft seems to be going out earlier than company officials originally told me with the business launch presentations for Windows 7/Windows Server 2008 R2/Exchange 2010. Microsoft officials said last month that the business launch events would begin November 9, but it looks like at least some of the business-launch events are happening in October.
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